Elmo Saves Christmas (special)
Elmo Saves Christmas is a Sesame Street Christmas special which originally aired on PBS in 1996, and was released to VHS that same year. It was released on DVD in 1997. Plot Everyone on Sesame Street is preparing for the holidays on Christmas Eve. Elmo plans to stay up all night on Christmas Eve to see Santa Claus descend from the chimney. He falls asleep, but is awakened when Santa is stuck. Elmo nobly pulls Santa out, whereupon they determine the cause of the extra mass -- a stowaway reindeer-in-training named Lightning. In gratitude, Santa offers Elmo a choice of two gifts: a pink bear, or a magical snowglobe. He wants the pink bear at first, but after Santa mentions it will grant him three wishes, Lightning recommends that Elmo take it, and he does. In order to use the snowglobe's power, Elmo needs to make a wish, shake the snowglobe, and say "Blitzen". Elmo uses his first wish to obtain a glass of water, because "Elmo was thirsty". Santa tells him he could have anything, but to not waste the other wishes. On Christmas Day, the excitement and happiness everyone experiences inspires Elmo, and he wishes that Christmas was every day. At first, everyone is thrilled about it being Christmas again, thanks to a news report given by Kermit the Frog. Elmo thinks it's a wonderful wish, but Santa returns from the North Pole to explain to Elmo that having Christmas every day isn't so great. Santa brings along Lightning, fitted to a special sleigh to take Elmo to the future, so Elmo can see what Christmas would be like at different times of the year. Elmo sees Big Bird mope over the fact that Snuffy is in Cincinnati, spending Christmas with his grandmother for a whole year, Maria and Luis get crabby over the Fix-It Shop being closed all year, everyone annoyed over It's a Wonderful Life always playing on television, and general unhappiness is evident. Also, Santa's elves are fatigued and end up producing a cow-bunny combination called the "Moo-Bunny". Other holidays, like Easter and Independence Day, aren't as fun anymore either. However, one Sesame Street resident who enjoys Christmas every day is Oscar the Grouch. He loves to see all the broken toasters piled up by the Fix-It Shop, a whole lot of trash piled up by his trash can and that there's nothing on television but It's a Wonderful Life. He says it's a "bah, humbug" Christmas every day. A year after that first fateful Christmas, the Fix-It Shop and other stores have gone out of business, Count von Count has grown tired of counting many things to do with Christmas in the course of 365 days, all the carolers have lost their voices from singing so much, Christmas trees have become endangered species, and even Santa is about to retire from his job (and move to Florida). That's when Elmo realizes "if everyday was Christmas, there wouldn't be Christmas at all." Elmo then decides to use his third wish to undo his second, but he shakes the snowglobe so much that it flies out of his hands and smashes to the ground before he can finish making the wish, which means it will be Christmas forever. All looks lost until Elmo suggests that Lightning could fly him back in time to the Christmas Eve when everything started (before he chose the snowglobe), and Lightning does so. This time, Elmo reluctantly chooses to take the pink bear from Santa, but Santa reveals that he has a Moo-Bunny on him, and Elmo delightedly chooses it for his gift. Impressed with Lightning's work, Santa offers to teach him how to be one of his reindeer. The next morning, Big Bird is standing near the Fix-it-Shop, alone and sad. He is brightened up when he sees Snuffy, who tells him that rather than visiting his granny in Cincinnati, she came to Sesame Street instead. They join the others in the arbor around the big Christmas Tree to sing "Keep Christmas With You All Through the Year." Songs *It's Christmas Again *Every Day Can't Be Christmas *Give Your Friend an Easter Egg for Christmas *All I Want for Christmas Is You *Keep Christmas with You (All Through the Year) Video releases Image:ElmoSavesXmasVHS.jpg| 1996 Sony Wonder LV 49940 Image:Video.elmosavesxmas.jpg| Sony Wonder LVD 49940 File:Newelmosaveschristmas.jpg| Genius Entertainment Image:Noimage-big.png| 2010 Warner Home Video International releases Image:Elmoredtkerst.jpg| Image:Elmosaveschristmasasianvcd.jpg| cat. no 615493 Image:Elmosaveschristmas-disney.jpg| 1997 Walt Disney Home Video Image:Asesamestreetchristmascarolelmosaveschristmas.jpg| 2008 Abbey Home Media Image:Barrio Sesamo Elmo Salva La Navidad-Caratula.jpg| 2003 Planeta Junior Image:Barriosesamoelmosaveschristmasdvd.jpg| 2008 Planeta Junior Image:Elmo_Saves_Christmas_DVD_Japan.jpg| 2008 Columbia Music Entertainment COBC-4777 Image:Elmosaveschristmasaustraliandvd.png| 2008 Madman Entertainment SES1026 Image:Christmasonsesamestreetaustraliandvd.png| 2009 Madman Entertainment Part of the Christmas on Sesame Street DVD boxset, along with Christmas Eve on Sesame Street and Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!. SES103 Image:Elmosaveschristmasvilasesamodoublefeaturedvd.jpg| 2010 ST2 Video cat. no 21663719 Image:Elmosaveschristmasvilasesamodvd.gif| cat. no 114186 Image:Sesamstraße-ElmoRettetWeihnachten-(DVD-2013).jpg| 2013 (2012 dub) Characters Muppets: :Elmo, Lightning, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Telly Monster, Baby Bear, Zoe, Grover, Mr. Johnson, Count von Count, Cookie Monster, Kermit the Frog, Elves, Rosita, Humphrey, Benny Rabbit. Background Muppets: :Ernie, Bert, Grundgetta, Herry Monster, Prairie Dawn, Baby Natasha, Forgetful Jones, Ingrid, Penguins, Sherry Netherland, Honker, Anything Muppets, Chickens, AM Monsters, Joey and Davey Monkey, Toucan Humans: :Bob, Maria, Luis, Gina, Gabi, Gordon, Mr. Handford, Carlo Cast Muppet Performers *Kevin Clash as Elmo, Benny Rabbit and Brown Elf *Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar Also Starring *Sonia Manzano as Maria *Emilio Delgado as Luis *Bob McGrath as Bob *Alison Bartlett-O'Reilly as Gina *Roscoe Orman as Gordon *David Smyrl as Mr. Handford *Carlo Alban as Carlo With Special Guest Stars *Maya Angelou *Charles Durning (Santa Claus) *Harvey Fierstein (The Easter Bunny) *14 Karat Soul Child Talent *Desiree Casado (Gabi) *Mara Feinstein *Noemi Hernandez *Andrew Mackasek *Theresa Sophia Rivera Credits *'Executive Producer:' Nancy Kanter *'Written by:' Christine Ferraro and Tony Geiss *'Directed by:' Emily Squires *'Produced by:' Karin Young Shiel *'Puppet Captain:' Kevin Clash *'Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop:' Ed Christie, Mark Zeszotek, Lara MacLean, Stephen Rotondaro, Carlo Yannuzzi *'Production Designer/Second Unit Director:' Victor DiNapoli *'Costume Designers:' Bill Kellard, Terry Roberson *'Associate Director:' Ken Diego *'Music Director:' Dick Lieb *'Associate Music Director:' Dave Conner *'Music Coordinator:' Danny Epstein *'Talent Coordinator:' Danette DeSena *'Animation:' Paladino Design *'Art Director:' Bob Phillips *'Set Decorator:' Nat Mongioi *'Graphic Designers:' Mike Pantuso, Pete Ortiz *'Control Room PA:' Carol-Lynn Parente *'Camera:' Frank Biondo, Mark Whitman, Patrick Minietta *'Audio:' Blake Norton, Carla Bandini-Lory *'Music and Lyrics by:' Tony Geiss *'Executive In Charge Of Production For Sony Wonder:' Becky Mancuso-Winding * Taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York See also *''Elmo Saves Christmas: Holiday Favorites'' *''Elmo Saves Christmas'' (book) __NOWYSIWYG__ Category:Sesame Street Specials Category:Christmas Productions Category:Sesame Street Video